


Back in the Saddle

by bayoublackjack



Series: Love in London [11]
Category: Doctor Who (2005), Royal Pains
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/M, Multiple Crossovers, POV Divya Katdare
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-05
Updated: 2014-09-05
Packaged: 2018-02-16 05:30:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2257584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bayoublackjack/pseuds/bayoublackjack
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Divya decides it's time to get back into the swing of dating with unexpected results.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Back in the Saddle

Divya wasn’t having much luck in her search for a new home, but if she was being honest with herself it was because Jeremiah’s place had raised her expectations to unreasonably high standards.  So for the time being she focused her attention on other pursuits.  If she couldn’t find a new place to live, the least she could do was find someone acceptable to date in order to end their fake engagement.

She had gone a few dates, but there wasn’t a spark with anyone.  Dating never really was her forte.  If she was going to do this right, she was going to need help.  Only a few people knew the truth about her relationship with Jeremiah and one of those people was Martha’s older sister Tish.

Tish worked in public relations and PR people always knew the best places to meet people.  Tish never had any trouble getting dates.  Divya just hoped she had no problem getting one for her as well.

The day before, Tish rang Divya asking her to be her plus one to an industry event.  So there they were sipping cocktails at Ham Polo Club.  “Tell me again why we’re at a polo club in the off season,” Divya requested close to Tish’s ear.

“PR event,” Tish answered simply.  “You see that man over there?”  She pointed to a middle aged man in a suit talking to a group of well-dressed people.  “That’s Simon Braddock.  American.  He used to work on Wall Street, but he’s always had a love for polo.  So much so that he quit his job and bought a team of his very own.  One he plays for as well.”

“Right.”  Divya nodded.  “So you’re trying to impress him?”

“No,” Tish answered.  “He’s our client.  This event is basically an excuse to schmooze.  People are dying to get closer to one of his players.  An Argentinean bloke named Rafa Correia.  He’s a real ladies man and an American designer wants to capitalise on that.”

“How so?”

Tish pointed to one of the women chatting up Simon Braddock.  “Her name is Fannie Todd and she has this line of high-end, high-performance undergarments called Fancied Pants.  She’s hoping that Rafa and his bum are just what she needs to take her company to the next level.”

“Sex sells.”

“Mmhmm.”  Tish took a sip of her drink.  “And if you saw what Rafa was selling, you’d be buying.”

Divya looked around at the people attending the party.  “So which one is the mysterious Rafa?”

Tish lowered her glass.  “I don’t see him, but rest assured that he’s here.  I heard members of his fan club singing his praises near the bar earlier.”

“Good luck with your search,” Divya said as she finished off her drink and placed her empty glass on the tray of a passing server.  “I think I’m going to go take a look at the stables.”

Tish exhaled sharply.  “I bring you to a big do filled with loads of eligible bachelors and you wanna piss off to go play with horses?”  She rolled her eyes.  “I see why you and my sister are mates.  You both have terrible priorities when it comes to meeting to men.”

“Yes, well Martha is off the market now.”

“Only by the grace of God,” Tish retorted.  “For a while there, I was certain you, her and Molly would be sharing a flat well into your nineties with Toby’s great great great grand kitties.”

“Nonsense,” Divya replied.  “I like horses much more than cats.”

“God,” Tish groaned and waved her off dismissively.

Divya knew Tish had a point, but she was never a fan of these types of things.  She had been to plenty of them growing up and she was almost certain that the man of her dreams wouldn’t be anywhere near one of these hoity-toity gatherings.  As far as she was concerned, the horses were the best part of polo.

When she stepped into the stables, her eyes immediately went to a chestnut coloured Quarter Horse.  She approached the horse slowly and offered her hand for it to sniff in order to gain its trust.  The horse sniffed Divya’s hand, brushing its nose against her palm in the process.  She smiled and took the opportunity to scratch its neck.

“Oh you’re gorgeous, aren’t you?” she said with a bright smile.  “And so much more interesting than those people at the party.  Maybe they should start a fan club for you instead of that Rafa everyone is fawning over.”

“Good idea,” a male voice said from behind her.  “May I join?”

Divya cringed inwardly.  The accent was a dead giveaway, but when she turned to look at the new arrival she was certain of just who he was.  “Rafa, I presume?”

“I am.”  Rafa nodded.  “And who might you be?  Besides someone who enjoys the company of my horse more than me.”

“Divya,” she answered.  “This is your horse?”

“Mmhmm,” Rafa replied as he stroked the horse’s neck.  “She’s my best girl.  I take her everywhere I go.  Mi verdadero amor.”

“Your true love?”

Rafa nodded again.  “Do you ride?”

“Not as much as I’d like,” Divya answered. “I love horses.  I always have.”

“Horses are easy to love.”

“When I was a child, I had an endlessly tolerant pony named Elmer.  And then on my tenth birthday, I started riding this gorgeous half Arab half Quarter Horse named Ajax after the Greek hero.”

“Sounds like he was a brave horse.”

“Hardly.  The only brave thing about Ajax was his name.”  Divya scoffed softly and stroked the mare’s coat again.  “One day I was riding and he decided to gallop towards a fence and then he threw me off.  But you know the old saying.  So I got right back on the horse and he threw me off again.  That was the last time I rode Ajax.”

“Sounds to me,” Rafa began.  “That he just didn’t know how to trust.”

“Yea, I guess he didn’t.”

“Horses are like people that way,” Rafa added, turning his attention to Divya fully.  “But you kept riding, right?”

“I did.”  Divya nodded.  “I guess sometimes I feel more myself around horses than I do people.”

“That’s why I’m here,” Rafa said.  He spoke to his horse in Spanish then looked at Divya again.  “It means ‘to escape everything, to be alone but not alone.’”

Divya met his eyes.  “I love that feeling.”

Rafa smiled.  “It may surprise you, but I believe you and I have a lot I common.”

Divya laughed.  “That would surprise because I don’t _actually_ know you,” she reminded him.

Rafa paused thoughtfully.  “What if I could prove it to you?”

“Alright,” Divya answered without looking at him.  She stroked the mare’s neck again.  “How are you gonna—” Her question was cut short by Rafa pulled her into his arms and kissing her.  She was stunned by his action, but even more so by the fact that she didn’t resist.  When they pulled apart, Divya stared into his eyes.  “What does that prove?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Rafa answered with a smirk.  “Perhaps we should find out?”

Divya glanced down at his lips then back up into his eyes.  This was completely insane and yet, somehow she couldn’t resist.  “Yes.”  She nodded.  “Let’s,” she agreed then move in to kiss him again.


End file.
